Transformed by Love
by Dreamer E.V
Summary: This is a story about two women, who being in love with the same man transformed from mild-mannered lovers from afar into the darkest sort of villians to protect him. Alternate ending starting at the Western Air Temple and going beyond the finale.
1. Decisions, Revelations and Morals

This is a story about two women, who being in love with the same man transformed from mild-mannered lovers from afar into the darkest sort of villains to protect him. This is their story, of how they were Transformed by Love. Alternate ending starting at the Western Air Temple and going beyond the finale.

Zuko left the capital. This time of his own free will. Soaring away he felt a new kind of freedom and felt a rightness about what he had decided to do. No, he wasn't at peace, not yet, he still had to get them to accept him, but he was sure that this time, that tracking them and finding the Avatar was a matter of his destiny and restoring his honor. There was nothing he could think of that was more honorable than to betray his nation and attempt to right the century of wrongs it had committed by teaching the Avatar the life blood of his nation, firebending. He stared ahead into the clouds and the sun, keen eyes on the Avatar's bison, ready to challenge the future he had chosen for himself.

Now that the Invasion had ended and the prisoners were being locked away, the citizens were let out of the underground bunker, and Mai was returning home. As she walked she couldn't help but think of Zuko. She never believed in premonitions, but she had a funny feeling, a "women's intuition" as her mother would call it that something wasn't right at her home, she gazed over to the palace and the feeling increased. Worried, she sprinted home knowing that the palace would be locked and barricaded against the Avatar, ' Who would probably get in anyway ' she thought. She opened the door to her house and was taken aback by the cold air, apparently the servants had let down all the curtains before they had left. The hot air was all trapped outside, wanting to preserve this momentary coolness she closed the door quickly and walked through the shadows to where she knew her room was. She saw a strange, unfamiliar shape on the bed. Unsure of what it was, she approached it and slightly tied back a curtain. When she saw it was a scroll her insides felt like they dropped into her feet, and she started trembling, the feeling of foreboding had returned. Instinctively, she picked it up and began to read.

After her grand ousting of the Avatar, Azula walked to her father's bunker doors and rapped quickly three times in succession, hearing no reply she let herself in. What met her eyes amazed her. There was no one there, but there was a half-circle of scorch marks on the rug at the throne's feet. She wondered,' Why would her father light the rug on fire, was it a soldier trying to protect my father? If so, then who tried to attack him? I distracted the Avatar, who else would they send to fight him?' A voice told her to consider Zuko, but she dismissed that silly thought. A little troubled, but sure of her father's might, Azula turned around and walked out of the bunker and toward the path that would lead to the palace.

The air around the bison was silent as its riders. It seemed to carry the same sad aura that they felt, even the wind blew tiredly, whilst the sun raged bright and triumphant. Soon they were told by Aang that Appa would need to "touch down, he had a busy day, and gets tired carrying so many riders." After a few minutes more of struggled flying they landed in a nearby field. Everyone got off of Appa tiredly and left their things on the bison, surely he could carry just those, after all, they were tired too. If what Aang remembered was correct, they had a bit of walking to do before they reached the Western Air Temple. It was only an hour past noon, they had a long day ahead of them, made longer by their sorry defeat at the Invasion.

Zuko watched them touch down. He could tell by the way the bison was flying that it was tired. As he gazed further ahead he discovered he knew where they were going. With a sigh he succumbed to the bittersweet memories of his previous, accompanied journey to the Western Air Temple.

Mai sighed angrily as tears were already streaming down her cheeks. She flung a kinfe at the door, effectively closing it with a slam and threw a lighter, sharper one at the tieback holding the curtain open. If she was going to cry, she would make sure no one would see, she decided to throw an extra knife at the door, where the door met the wall, and wedged the knife in the crack to keep it from opening easily. Unless they wanted to shove open her door, she would have to let whoever decided to bother her in. Sighing again she thought to herself, 'Zuko is the only fool, the only brave, stubborn, self-righteous fool who I would fall more in love with for leaving me. Jerk.' She was mad at him of course, but she was too overwhelmed by sorrow and self-loathing to act out her self-righteous anger. Her mother did always tell her to pounce on her oppurtunities, and the next time she saw him, she promised herself, "I'm going to take that opportunity to tear him apart" for confusing her carefully defined loyalties and emotions this way. "Well," she thought aloud, "I better pull myself mostly together before Azula storms over to find out if I know what happened. I better keep this note, so she knows I wasn't wise to his plan, although I wish I had been, maybe I could have convinced him to let me go with him."

Azula sat before her father's throne, shocked. She knew Zuko would crack under the pressure somehow, but she figured he would hire an assassin to go after the Avatar and his motley crew, not join them himself. She was upset that he told Father that she had lied to him, Father was upset too, but after she had explained herself he said that he was "mildly impressed" with my plan, "but that you are never to lie to me again". I had to wonder, did Mai have anything to do with this, I can't see Zuko planning his escape to logically, nor with such foresight. I told Father of my concerns and he dismissed me saying "Take care of your friend's loyalty problems like you did your brother, don't get me involved in such petty grievances, I have a Final Battle to plan." With that he urged me to go, time to pay a little visit to Mai. Maybe I'll take Ty Lee the honest to a flaw, aura-reader with me. She'll tell me if Mai is telling the truth.

'What are we going to do now?' Sokka thought drearily. He was the "Plan Guy" and his plan had failed. He had to think of something quick before everyone lost hope. As they came to the Western Air Temple it dawned on him. Maybe we don't have to think of a new plan, but just put the finishing touches on the old one. Defeat the Fire Lord before the Comet comes, plain and simple, at least to say, but I'll discourage... challenge myself with the details later. Now we have to convince Aang that he can't lose hope and retreat back to a twelve year old Airbender kid. He has to stay the Avatar if we are to have any chance of winning this war. All we need now it seems is a firebending/jerkbending teacher to complete his avatar requirements, or at least it sounds that simple. One more weapon to throw at the guy never hurt; if its his own weapon, even better.

Now that he knew where the Avatar was headed he slowly pressed ahead of them in his war balloon. He would set down in the forest nearby, and climb the cliff side to the temple and take a rope down. He had been here before, so he was sure of his way around, but he was still nervous about what to say to them. After he elegantly crashed landed through the trees, he set up camp, just in case. It also gave him time to think. Shortly after his landing and setting up camp, he took a rope and climbed the cliff to the temple. He thought that they would be appearing soon and decided to wait for them. Memories haunted him, but he could only reassure himself that he was doing the right thing now; however as he saw them descend on the bison to another part of the temple, Zuko's courage lost the battle with his guilt and he ran.

Mai knew Azula was testing her, that's why she made little attempt to clean her tear-stained face. Being as Mai wore no facial powder it was hardly noticeable, but Azula and Ty Lee saw like a messenger hawk, and Ty's aura-reading saw through all lies. That coupled with Ty Lee nearly tackling Mai with a hug when she saw that she had been crying and Mai handing Azula the note, kept Mai safe from any form of treachery. Mai was briefly thankful that Zuko had the sense to not attach a map or anything traceable about his destination, although that also meant that she couldn't follow. Mai was too overwhelmed by her no longer repressed emotions to care about Azula's personal and nearly insulting line of questioning. Mai just nodded and cried, speechless.

Azula took this as a symbol of Mai's loyalty to her, seeing as how Mai was so distraught over her idiotic, weakling, fool of a brother. 'Heir to the throne, well not anymore Zuzu, you messed up royally this time, and now Father's not leaving you a fool's errand of a redemption quest either,' Azula thought to herself rolling her eyes at Mai's emotional display. Mai had to move on now, she would never do something foolish that would compromise her family's position, and Zuzu was never coming back, alive, unless he was to be brought to a public execution. "He's gone Mai, he left you, and this time there's no hope of him coming back. I'll give you today to pull yourself back together. Tomorrow I'll send Ty over to fetch you, we have a world to conquer Mai, and when you are your stoic self again, you can rule by my side." Azula watched as Mai held her breath then, sucking up her tears, and nodded, with a strange look in her eyes, like she was envisioning the future, our glorious future, where the Fire Nation rules supreme. With this vision Azula in her head, Azula motioned to Ty Lee to leave, and walked out Mai's bedroom door, she knew Ty Lee would catch up with her in a minute, she was reading Mai's aura, and Azula could question Ty Lee later about what she had seen feigning concern for her other "best friend". Azula considered them more as useful allies than friends, she had seen what friendships had done to people in the Academy for Girls; and although she knew how to be a friend, she preferred to detach herself from the actual sacrifices that friendship required.

'Something's wrong with Twinkletoes' Toph thought aboard Appa as they chased Aang around the temple. 'He's not acting like himself, he's acting like an irresponsible, excitable kid. Well, I now he is those things, but its like he's reacting wrongly to the failure at the Invasion. He went from being overly stressed out, to responsible adult, to making painful sacrifices and heartfelt speeches, but now, its like all that maturity disappeared. Its like he's trying to convince himself that the world will go on if he spends all day flying about and playing in the all-day echo chamber. I'll have to straighten that boy out if Sugarqueen doesn't.' Toph was ready to open her mouth and do it, now that she was off of Appa and could feel him on the ground again. She didn't however, because her foot count came up with an extra pair, and Toph didn't like to be surprised. She decided not to get onto a battle stance, because the extra pair of feet's racing, fluttering heartbeat seemed nervous and non-threatening. Whoever this was, it felt like they were trying to regain their calm before steeling themself for battle; Toph didn't like that feeling, but rather than react, she thought that judgment would be better left to the seeing people. She decided instead of capturing this person that she would point them out. Strangely, the person stepped forward, uncertainly, as she called out their hiding place. When she heard who it was and felt the Gaang's heartbeat and battle position reactions she got in a stance as well. The stance was a precautionary measure. She could tell Zuko wasn't in any stance to fight, and now that he had been found out his heartbeat steadied, and slowed slightly, as if knowing that they were going to attack calmed him, weird kid. Things got even weirder when he started apologizing, his hello was hilariously awkward, but no one laughed. When he started talking the accusations flew, he denied nothing, and took the attacks in a weather-worn way that interested Toph. 'This isn't how someone reacts when they're going to attack you,' she mused. She about wanted to get her ears checked when he offered to teach Aang firebending. She was even more shocked when they refused to take him as a prisoner. 'I mean come on, how much easier can he make this for you guys?' Toph thought outraged. Sometimes she wonders why she joined such fools, and wishes that everyone could read truth with their feet.

"Stupid, Stupid Stupid!" Zuko berated himself the rest of the day, and as night fell he got ready to sleep, planning how to earn their trust and attempt to get them to understand him the next day, because apparently his impressions and Uncle self- pep talk were alot of help. He fell asleep as the sun set and wondered why he has to struggle and fight even in dreams; can't he ever get a break? As he resigned himself to a night of fighting his inner demons he heard a branch break, someone was coming. "Who's there?" Upon hearing her voice, Zuko jumps up realizing he firebended prematurely. When she tells him that he burned her feet, he reflects on his own burn and his guilt overwhelms him to try and help her even though she is flinging boulders at him. Eventually he fails to move in time and is thrown back towards his camp, winded. When he catches his breath he realizes that Toph has disappeared into the bushes beyond his night vision without the moon. Feeling guilty and frustrated he throws himself on the ground and shouts to the spirits "Why am I so bad at being good!?!" He would struggle with this question for the rest of the night, and as the sun rose he made him way to the temple, racking his brain for someway, somehow, to apologize to the earthbender and to get them to trust him, now that he had injured one of their own. As he walked he stared at the ground and when he heard the loud screech of an eagle hawk and saw a glint of light in the forest he hid behind the trees and approached the source. When he saw the assassin he had hired he felt panic flood through him. How would he stop him, he had to save the Avatar if the world wanted any chance of surviving his Father's ruthless plan. Filled with new determination and a near suicidal sense of duty, he tracked the assassin carefully, petitioning Agni and Avatar Roku to help him save possibly the last Airbending Avatar.

Mai sat in the dark of her room, wondering when she had last stopped to consider what she felt was right and wrong. Azula made the war sound glorious, but she had seen the state of the Earth Kingdom on her travels. She had heard of the refugees living in near squalor in Ba Sing Se's lower ring. Her parents had tried to detach her from the war, but they couldn't keep her from listening. She saw the fear and vulnerability in the eyes of the Kyoshi Warriors, she had seen in their leader the same self-righteous fire that Zuko tried to quench coming out of the war meeting with his father. For once she was at a loss of what to do. Her mother had been sure to raise her to respond politically to any situation; but politics, she knew, was a practice of abandoning morals for selfish ambition. Thinking back on what Azula had said, she realized she only had a day to decide. 'Is this how Zuko felt?' she wondered. He left the day after the final grand war meeting. Everything now was to be carried out by the various generals, admirals and captains. Mai had to decide, she knew there was no logical way that Zuko was coming back, unless the Avatar managed to defeat Firelord Ozai and displace Azula for the throne. She could try to escape to the Earth Kingdom and find him, but the possibility of her escaping was slim and even if she did she would be always on the run from Fire Nation troops who would have a warrant out for her, a deserter and traitor to the princess. The political thing to do would be to cut her losses and ally herself with the winning side, which now clearly looked to be Azula and Firelord Ozai. However, she didn't want to give up hope that Zuko would make a difference. Recognizing that thought for the treachery it is, she knew she had chosen her side. She could only hope that she was a good enough actor to fool Azula and that Ty Lee wouldn't rat her out. With treachery came insight apparently, she now saw that Azula was just using Ty Lee and herself, and that revelation was enough to make it so she didn't have to fake her anger, which Azula would assume was directed toward Zuko. She would sit a while longer, musing and reflecting on this new moral world that had opened up to her, and then she would go to see Azula to present the facade and effectively "seal the deal" on her traitorous decision. What she would do besides thought-crime at this point remained a mystery, but hopefully fate, which she grudgingly believed in, would clearly present her an opportunity and even more hopefully it would connect her with Zuko.

Azula was impressed, which is a hard thind to do. "You have decided well Mai, keep that rage, let it fuel your fighting desire for conquest, for revenge." Azula praised. "I intend to." Mai responded sharply looking away from Azula with cutting eyes. "Well, Mai, Ty Lee, we have war plans to attend to. The generals aren't going to get it right themselves." With that Azula walked out of her room in the palace and towards the wing where the war plans were being carried out. Her pace left no doubt that they would be visiting the airship field and Fire Navy docks later that afternoon. It would be a long day, and the plans were only beginning. Azula had self-appointed herself to oversee all of them; to keep her informed and to review for flaws in plans or flawed people. Both of which she intended to dispose of.

They had gotten too self assured, Sokka realized, when Combustion Man attacked. Now that he looked back on it, Sparky Sparky Boom Man was too demeaning a name for the amount of danger he put them through. It went unsaid that they were surprised to see Zuko swing in to the rescue. Well, attempted rescue, all he did was manage to divert the blast and the attention of the assassin he hired, who then proceeded to blow him off the cliff side. Poor Zuko, almost, Sokka wanted to feel sorry for him, but he figured that was karma, which he didn't believe in but thought that Zuko would. Sokka didn't quite like entrusting his life into the hands of something he couldn't control or petition for a change with his great intellectual arguments or suavity. It also went without saying that if it wasn't for the recent danger Sokka would have been gloating over his awesomely skilled shot that took out Combustion Man. The third surprise of the day, the first being that Toph showed up with burnt feet and the second being that Combustion Man found them, was that Zuko had survived Combustion Man's point blank fire attack off the cliffside. The guy climbed up a vine to a floor fragment. He just doesn't know when to quit, the poor guy must really have a reason for doing this if he is going through all this trouble. Maybe we should hear him out; worse case scenario, it would give us an excuse to attack him again. Here he comes, time to roll out the guilt/ammunition wagon. Wow, Zuko is actually making sense, and acting like he finally decided to use his brain and open his eyes to see just who his Daddy really is. I really was suprised Katara said yes, but I can see why. Aang needs a firebending teacher, Toph was right. 'Not that I'll ever tell her that'. Of course, I was the one who had to show the (air quote Toph) "reformed prince that is no longer a heir because he turned traitor" to his room. Talk about awkward, I didn't even really have to lead the guy, he just trailed behind waiting for me to show him to an open door. Also, he was quiet and smiling, which I've never seen without a fiery attack sequence behind it, not including the fact that this was no "I'm going to smite you" smile. After letting him know about lunch later I walked out talking to Aang and as he turned the corner flying off on his air scooter I heard footsteps down the hall. I turned around quickly, suspicious of Zuko's sudden change. I saw Katara, with a face looking like the way it did when I told her that I lost her favorite penguin-seal doll to the ice flow sea. That also happened to be the day we found out she was a waterbender. I don't like to remember the fit she threw that day, so in the name of self-preservation, namely seeing how long I would need to cater to her later tonight I followed her to Zuko's room listening from around the corner to what she said to him. Listening to Katara I was surprised at her, I never expected her to threaten him with his life. I had little doubt that given enough reason she would find a way to kill him, even though Zuko was one guy who was hard to pin down and kill. I almost felt sorry for him, but I figured he deserved it when Katara walked out of his room. What I wasn't prepared for was Zuko's sigh and the crashing sound of a body falling back on a bed. I almost laughed when I heard him coughing on the dust. When suddenly his room lit up like a bonfire I rushed to hide under the window to listen in. He sighed "much better, all sparkles and no scorch marks, good." I managed to keep myself from laughing at the sparkles part, but how was I to know that dust+fire=glass. Then I heard him pick something up and lay on the bed again, only this time he seemed to be talking to himself, or whatever he was holding I guessed. As I walked away I heard him whisper, "Uncle, I really wish you were here right now. You know how to act around these people, how to be... normal. I guess I never realized how much I needed your wisdom till I didn't have it. I miss you, and I hope I'll see you again." Now I'm leaving depressed, but not over Zuko, oh no, but over the fact that what he said reminded me so much of the way I felt towards my own father. I could only hope that the Fire Nation would be civil with the leader of the Invasion and the Southern Water Tribe.


	2. Fever Dreams, Logic and Masters

Zuko had lost his firebending. He puzzled over this new development, and what it meant about him, it was all he could do on this long bison ride to the Island of the Sun Warriors.

Mai had been having strange dreams. She walked about half awake, and felt warm, as if she had a fever. Of course the only people to notice besides Ty Lee and Azula were the servants. She tried to help Azula plan for the final battle, but she was so genuinely exhausted. She couldn't let on however, or Azula might get suspicious, and Mai hadn't even been planning anything treacherous, besides her resignation to her inner morals and the thought betrayals. She was almost thankful when Ty Lee read the tiredness in her aura, (which she still didn't believe in.. that much) and felt her forehead declaring her feverish and dragging her with Azula's permission to her home to put her to bed. Mai was almost thankful, until Ty Lee told the servants to not let her out of her room till she got better. Although Ty's chi massage was greatly appreciated. Mai found out later that Ty Lee didn't leave when she fell asleep. She instead sent a servant with a message to Azula letting her know that Ty Lee had decided to stay the day at Mai's bedside and help her get over this strange summer fever. Ty Lee told Azula it was probably just Mai getting sick from all her repressed emotions, knowing that Azula would get a smirk out of it, and be satisfied that Ty Lee was watching Mai closely and reporting to her. Mai had yet to discover that Ty Lee's puppy fire-tigerhawk alliance was as much for Mai's benefit as Ty Lee's own. If Ty Lee could control Azula's teasing and actions by siding with her then she would. Mai would witness this soon, but find out much later.

Azula had been suspicious of Mai's sickness, but she had a lingering trust in Ty Lee. She was impressed by Ty Lee's concern in her note, and how she had reported to Azula of Mai's condition, knowing that Azula's suspicion had been aroused. "She will make a fine war attendant yet." Azula thought out loud. She had nothing against the girl's effort in their journeys through the Earth Kingdom and their coup of Ba Sing Se, but there were times when Ty Lee's sensitive nature made Azula question her loyalty. Azula could only hope to be charismatic and fearsome enough to keep Ty Lee around, and that by proxy Mai would stay loyal as well. In the event of treacherous suspicion; however, they knew that Azula clearly had the upper hand and could blackmail or threaten either of their families to get them to serve her. Azula was sure of herself, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go to check if Mai's fever wasn't real later.

Sokka didn't know what to think about Aang journeying to some uncivilized island with Zuko. Katara and logic screamed "Its a trap! Its dangerous! He's going to tell his father and sister where we are and Aang is going to be captured." Yet Sokka, playing the fool, had been watching Zuko closely. He had never had a chance to observe Zuko before, but from what he had seen of him: hot-tempered, yelling, arrogant, desperate; he just didn't see those things in Zuko now. Sure Sokka had pushed Zuko's buttons to see if the Zuko he knew would come firebending through, but all he got was outbursts of frustration. Those were more or less normal from the things Sokka put him through, but who was Sokka to waste such a golden opportunity to poke fun at the enemy. Sokka told Katara, and logic, to be patient. "We have to trust that Aang knows what he is doing," he tried to reassure them, and himself.

'Think about our place in the universe! Why in the world would I suggest that? As if I don't do that enough I had to go and tell the Avatar to. Am I stupid?' Zuko berated himself. Of course it didn't help when Aang looked at him and sighed, "You just had to help up the golden egg thing." 'Stupid Avatar, stupid goo booby trap, stupid universe for putting me in a goo booby trap with the Avatar pondering our place in this universe which likes to make me miserable as much as Sokka does.'

Mai had a dream of the sun, but in this dream she stood on a hill and watched as the sun had a battle with a black and a blue dragon. They shot lightning out of their mouths and belittled him. They sounded awfully familiar. The black dragon had a deep, commanding voice. It's tone hurt just as much as the awful words. The black dragon rode a flaming meteor rock and sent a bolt of lightning at the upper left corner of the sun. The sun wasn't fighting back. Mai didn't know how the sun was supposed to fight back, but she knew that if it contained itself that the black dragon would descend to earth and destroy the very ground that she stood on. She could hear the smooth, cruel, young womanly voice of the blue dragon, declaring the greatness of the black dragon's destruction and promising that when the black dragon returned from his destructive journey on the meteor comet that she would take the throne in the sky, and to do it she would murder the sun. Fear gripped Mai's soul, she could voices. As she sat up, awake and panting, she saw Azula who asked, "Bad fever dream Mai?" and realized she was staring at the blue dragon.

After seeing that Mai was genuinely ill, and chatting with Ty Lee for as long as Azula considered ettiquette and friendship required; Azula decided to return to the palace. As she watched Mai she had been thinking of strategies for the war balloon fleet and had some ideas to present to her Father. Azula wanted to go down in history as a general in this final battle, but she knew she would have to earn her place.

Air Temples are boring, Sokka realized. Without Aang's peppy attitude or Zuko to make fun of Sokka and Toph were out of things to do. Katara kept herself busy cooking, cleaning, or waterbending which was probably for the best, otherwise she would go on nagging about them mistakenly trusting Zuko, which hadn't even been proven yet. Teo, Haru and the Duke kept exploring, so Sokka basically carried Toph around since as she said, "Zuko left, so now I can't get him to be my personal palanquin. You'll have to do. Oh, and by the way, make sure your conversation is more interesting that Sparky's, being carried around is boring when you can't see." Sokka resigned himself to her request. It was better than being hassled by his sister, and its not like he had anything better to do, but wait for their return.

Being judged by the Masters was a terrifying experience. Zuko felt like his soul and sins were utterly exposed, he felt their commanding presence more terribly than the firewall and fear of the throne room. When they opened their mouths he thought he was done for, they had judged his lineage and sins and declared him unworthy. He only hoped that they would spare the Avatar and that Aang could find Uncle to teach him, and that Mai would eventually forgive him. He would miss her. When the multi-colored flames enveloped him but didn't burn him he was amazed and transfixed. The fires were speaking to him, he was seeing visions like his fever dreams, but these were of dragons and firebenders in the times before the war. It was beautiful, and Zuko wanted the world to return to that vision. Those were happy times.

Mai had a dream that she was weeping for the sun. The dragons had left and the sun had been hurt. Mai wanted to help but she was too far away. All she could do is weep with the sun and sing the Song of Fire in the dragon tongue. Mai could only whistle the tune, she was too sad to sing the words. Ursa had secretly taught her the song. She sang it by a secluded fountain in a garden where Mai liked to hide from Azula. Ursa never knew that Mai was there that day, or how Mai had clung onto the words like a lifeline. Mai remembered the last time she sang this song. On the day she heard of Zuko's Agni Kai and banishment, when she overheard her servants and escaped out her window, running to the docks and singing it after Zuko's ship which was sailing into the rising sun. In her dream the sun nodded, and a sunbeam reached down to caress her cheek and wipe her tears. It was warm, but didn't burn and Mai was reminded of Zuko's soft yet firm caresses. Zuko, who she needed like the sun.

Father was impresses with her idea and sent Azula with a royal decree to make sure her idea was implemented by the Royal Air Fleet. Azula would pass the news on to a guard and the gossip would spread from there. Soon all the capital city would know of her greatness, contrasting with her brother's cowardice and failure. They would cherish her as heir and ruler. She would adamant and powerful. Thanks to her and her forefathers, the world would become what she wanted it to be.

When Zuko and Aang returned and showed off the new dance moves they had learned I couldn't help but laugh. I was worried that he was going to turn in Aang to his Father. All he did was pick up some new moves. The universe kept giving him comedy gold through Zuko. Sokka almost felt sorry for the guy, but opportunities like this are best not wasted on pity.


	3. Phoenix Dancing for Lovestruck Fools

Phoenix Dancing isn't just for Fools in love

"I hope we haven't made a huge mistake." Zuko reflected as he followed Sokka into the prison. "I had thought that we could go in, find who we needed and then leave, but it looks like we're stuck here now. If they find out who I am the best I can hope for is a life sentence in here. Aang still has so much firebending he needs to learn before he faces father or the world doesn't stand a chance, much less Aang himself surviving. If Dad tries a stunt with Aang like he did with me when I left, with the way Aang is now, it will make what Azula did in Ba Sing Se seem like a firebending training burn. Agni, if you still wish to have a world to shine down on, keep us safe.

"With Zuko gone, life is as boring as ever, once again." Mai thought to herself as she polished her throwing knives and sighed, "Well at least boring means that Zuko is still safe, unless Azula is keeping information from me. It was so much easier before, even when we were dating, now I feel like I have to watch my back, she is watching me more like a eagle-hawk now than ever. I know she has me followed, expecting me to help, but what can I do, I have no idea where Zuko even is. I want to help, which is treason, but I can't, he didn't even leave me the choice."

"Ty Lee, I am officially a Master Firebender," Azula announced. "Really Azula? Why that's so exciting. Congratulations! This calls for a celebration, come on, let's go out and buy one of your favorite Spicy Cinnamon-Sugar Cane Cream cakes." Ty Lee exclaimed with a hug pulling Azula along. "Ty Lee, what about Mai? Should we invite her?" Azula asked, scrutinizing Ty Lee's reaction to see if she and Mai were hiding anything from her. Ty Lee looked pensive for a few seconds, as if considering something deeply. Finally she looked up with that Ty Lee sparkle in her eyes and smiled saying, "But of course Azula. She's been all dingy-gray aura and gloomy again since Zuko left. Maybe some cake will cheer her up. Its her favorite too; I think that fruit tarts might remind her of Zuko again. She needs a distraction to get over him." "Well Ty Lee, I believed that you have passed my test, but I'll still be watching, both of you." Azula thought to herself.

'I finally have Suki again. This is so great. I could spend days with her in my arms like this. Oh no! There's Zuko's signal.' "Suki I've got to go, I'll see you soon." With that I snuck out the door, only to find Zuko trying to keep the other guard from entering the cell. 'If I sneak away we might get away with it, or maybe I can make it look like I'm in charge of him having him surprise attack the guards to test their ability. Ya! That'll work I'm sure of it.' Sokka planned. All those plans died midthought as the guard spotted him. "Help! I think he is an impostor! Arrest him!" Sokka knew that if he didn't do as she said they would both be found out. As he dragged Zuko away one phrase kept repeating in his mind, sounding more and more threatening every time: "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor." Suddenly Sokka cared, personally about Zuko's future; he didn't want any more potential blood on his hands.

Even though captured, Zuko was relieved to see that Sokka had found his father. After the first escape attempt had failed, Zuko consoled himself with the fact that since they weren't in the stolen cooler they weren't under suspicion just yet. Now though, he knew they were running out of time, if they could all find some way to escape before the warden turned him into his father, they might just make it out of here and back to Aang alive.

Mai was practicing her knife throwing and making up patriotic sounding haikus, anything to calm the whirlwind of emotion and the feeling of danger fogging up her normally sharp mind. She almost tripped when the servant called for her, so deep was her concentration. "Miss Mai, the princess has called for you. She is waiting with a message, she says it's urgent." Azula, she was the last person I wanted to see today; especially with my cover slipping like this. "Bring some Lavender oil and Jasmine incense. Then run me a bath. I'm going to repin my hair and while I'm in, prepare my clothes and send a message to Azula telling her that I will join her shortly." With that the servant bowed and left. I went to pull my knives out of the targets and trees.

"So Mai, you finally decided to join us. We were going to throw a celebration in honor of my being named an official Firebending Master, but you took too long so we helped ourselves to the cake. It's our favorite Mai, don't worry, there's some left. But before I get down to other reason to celebrate have a piece, and do tell us what took so long," Azula crowed. "I apologize for making you wait Azula, but I was practicing when you called for me and I thought it inappropriate to appear before the princess a sweaty mess," Mai answered. "Very well, Mai. I suppose that now is as good a time as any to tell you both the exciting news," baited Azula. "What could possibly be more exciting than your being named a Firebending Master, Azula?" Ty Lee asked. Azula looked at them both, then focused on Mai, who was now chewing mindfully on a piece of cake, and answered Ty Lee with an evil glint in her eyes, "Why news of my brother's capture of course." Presently, Mai choked on the piece of cake.

Sokka knew something big was happening, all the guards watched each other suspiciously. Sokka couldn't see their faces through the masks, but their normally stiff posture looked especially guarded. They had already brought in and processed the new prisoners, and even thought they were still in lockdown he didn't think it called for that much tension in the air. He had a lingering suspicion that Chit Sang had turned him in and that they were waiting to bust him, but after the lineup this morning he figured that the guy wanted to stay on Sokka's good side for the next escape attempt. Sokka hoped that they succeeded in putting this plan into action. He thought it might work, but Zuko being taken away was throwing a hogmonkey wrench into the plan. Sokka was glad that he had a chance to tell Zuko, but now he was wondering if he should wait till Zuko got back from wherever they had taken him, or if he should put that plan into action while he knew Zuko was still alive and on the Boiling Rock. Sokka didn't think the Fire Lord would be content with anything less than a personal hand in his demise. He didn't know why he thought that, but perhaps the fear Azula instilled was at the root of that idea, after all, who else would have trained her to be like that.

"Come on, Zuko. We all know that's a lie." Mai shot back angrily. "Well, you don't have anything to say, no reason for turning traitor and breaking my heart. Was I really that much of a 'big blah' that you decided to leave the country to be the foolhardy, hot-headed guy you seem to enjoy being?" Zuko took the attack silently. This enraged Mai, she was desperate to understand, but with the two guards at the door she couldn't question him like she wanted to. She didn't want to use low blows, but she couldn't think of any other ways to get him to explain himself. "Am I really so dispensable to you?!" Finally Zuko reacted, "Stop! This isn't about you; This is about the Fire Nation." "Thanks Zuko, that makes me feel all better." "Mai, I never wanted to hurt you, but I have to do this to save my country." "Save it? You're betraying your country." Mai retorted. "That's not how I see it." Zuko answered firmly. Mai turned, looking upset and letting him know it. Inside she was thinking, deeply and frantically. If he thought betraying his nation could save it then he must think that something was deeply wrong with it. Mai knew it had to be something that his experiences in his banishment taught him. She was thinking of ways to ask more when a guard showed up, distracting her. When Zuko took the opportunity to escape Mai was shocked. There he was, being stupid again. Where did he think he could escape to? When he locked her in though she was upset; he was leaving her without a choice, again! As soon as she got out and caught up with him she was going to give him a piece of her mind. While she was waiting for the guard to let them out she heard Azula's voice throwing her the bone that she had begged the universe. "Find the ones responsible and throw them alive into the boiling lake, except Zuzu, he's going to see Daddy, one last time." Her anger evaporated instantly; suddenly she wished she could beg the universe to take it back.

Mai was fortunate to have been to the Boiling Rock many times as a child, she knew all the routes in the prison. She raced to the gondola, knowing that it was the only way off of the island, her only hope was to beat Azula there. As she ran she recognized that this was her "Moment of Sunrise", as the old Fire Nation philosophy tome read, "_The time when the light of realization shines and redefines the life of those who bask in it's rays. The light will bring danger, risk of fire and being burned, yet without it, all who live in the world will wither and die. Moonbeams of dogma will only sustain a shell, but the strength to fight the elements and grow comes from the nourishment and battles under the sun_. _The moment of sunrise is the blink of an eye, it never waits or turns back, for the sun always rise in the east and sets in the west_" 'I want to bask in the rays of Zuko's sunshine, whatever it is he now believes. I've been withering away to an emotionless shell in this country, and under Azula's hands. If I have to die I want it to be battling under the sun, not from being long-starved by moonbeams.' With that last thought, she ran.

Azula was pleased with how the battle was going. All she has to do is knock them off the top and then ride the gondola to the other side and take the others hostage. Obviously they had sent their warriors to face herself and Ty Lee, so the others should be easy to chi block and then cart off to justice. Azula was gloating over how well this day was turning out when the gondola lurched to a stop. She had just gotten her balance back when Ty Lee shouted that they were about to cut the line. Once they were safely on the other gondola, Azula was pondering whether to burn through the line herself, when she was interrupted by Ty Lee bringing the commotion on the docking station to her attention. It looked like the prisoners were being thrown about. Realizing that the only person that could do that was Mai, Azula growled "What is she doing?" They watched as Mai strung a guard's knife onto a heavy rope and looped it around the gondola line. Then she climbed up and started running across the line like Ty Lee had earlier. Azula knew that Mai was nowhere near as skilled as Ty Lee and that she wasn't foolish enough to try and make the jump from that line to her gondola. Ty Lee spoke, "Maybe she is going after them herself." "She wouldn't have disabled all the guards and set the gondolas in motion to do that," Azula retorted. She stared into Ty Lee's wide eyes and growled with realization, "She's trying to save him; they're both traitors and fools." Azula, upset and betrayed, shoots a huge fireball at Mai; Zuko who had been busy thinking of a way to escape if the gondola line was cut, like Ty Lee said, didn't even know of Mai's approach until Sokka had to pull Suki back into the gondola to keep her from going up top to get ready to fight Mai. "Suki, they could cut the line any time now, you could fall off! Well I'm not going to wait here until she pins us to the gondola and lets us drown in it!" "Techinally, we wouldn't drown, we would be boiled alive." Sokka! We have to do something." "All right, all right, I'll call in the expert. Oy! Zuko, get out there and keep away your girlfriend!" Sokka called. Zuko, turned towards the sound of Sokka's voice, not quite understanding what he said. He then noticed that everone's stare was directed at the window. He approached them slowly, confused and then was shocked to see Mai running down the gondola line towards them. Zuko like everone else was trying to figure out whether this was a good or a bad thing, when Azula's fireball launched toward them and Mai like a rocket. Zuko, acting instinctively, firebended a blast to redirect Azula's fire. The rush of conflicting fires tips Mai and she falls off the gondola line. Without thinking, Zuko shouts, "Mai!" and fires a long stream of flame towards her, he knows it won't save her but he has to do something. Azula laughs at his pathetic attempt to save her until she sees Mai do the unthinkable: midair she does a back flip. Her feet seem to go through the fire but then she springs off of the dying fire into a cartwheel. Halfway through the cartwheel, she wraps her arms around the gondola line and manages to heave herself back up onto it.

Suddenly a memory rises from the depths of Zuko's, Azula's and Ty Lee's minds. _One day at the palace, Zuko had been forced to play with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. His father and mother were busy. Dad was off training and mom was teaching lessons at the Fire Nation Academy for girls. It was a hot day so Azula, in a moment of curious inspiration, decided to go see what mom taught to these girls which took her away from them. The royals rode in a palanquin to the school and Mai and Ty Lee shared a large parasol. Zuko remembered grumbling about being taken to a girl's school. Once they arrived Azula flashed her crown hair ornament and demanded that the guard lead them to her mother's room unannounced. Once they arrived they peeked in through the open door and saw young girls paired with firebending servant boys dancing. This dance was unlike any they had ever seen and the music was of a melody seemingly forgotten. The tune sounded lighthearted like the breeze but strong and rhythmic like the rays of the sun through a prism. The girls danced in twirls, flips, cartwheels and more, but the beauty of the dance came from the fact that they were dancing just inches off the ground, on a shifting blanket of fire, created by the firebending servant boys. They boys directed the fire, and the girls followed, both taking their cues from Ursa as she taught them some traditional dances in the flame-walking way. "What are they doing?" Zuko asked mesmerized. "The sign says 'Phoenix Dancing'," answered Ty Lee. "Well I've had enough of watching these twirl girls, what about you two?" said Azula addressing Mai and Ty Lee. Mai tore her attention away and waited for her next command. Ty Lee begged, "Please Azula, can't we watch a little longer, I want to learn so that I can impress some big war hero someday." "I wouldn't think those twirling twits would be impressive at all, I'd impress everyone by becoming a war hero myself, then I'd be able to pick whoever I feel is worthy of me." Azula answered. "Girls aren't supposed to be the war heroes Azula, the guys are supposed to come home from war with the dancing girls greeting them. That's how Uncle says it's supposed to be done, and he's off fighting the war now." Zuko retorted. "Oh, is Zuzu crushing on one of the twirl girls in there, is that why he doesn't want to leave?" Azula teased. "No! I just wanted to see Mom, that's all, ... let's go." Zuko argued as he stormed off._

Only Azula knew that Mai had gone to her parents and asked to enroll in an afternoon etiquette class. After getting her parents signature and verbal praise she had carefully cut and pasted the signature onto the form for the Phoenix Dancing class. Mai had seen the look in Zuko's eyes as he watched. He had been amazed; Mai wanted Zuko to look at her like that some day.As the memory faded and realization set in, the three exhaled their amazement in two words: "Phoenix Dancing".

Azula was beyond upset. She had been in Mai's confidence about that class, and now she was using what she learned to betray the one who kept her secret! Manipulating her anger, Azula started the motions for lightning. She would teach everyone what became of back-stabbing traitors. Just as the electricity was crackling, Ty Lee sprung. Azula felt two hard jabs in her back and then she fell, and her electrically charged anger exploded back into the sky. The crack of thunder sent out a pulse wave rocking the gondolas. Mai fell again and Zuko, this time, sent waves of flame one after the other, letting Mai twist and spring off of them getting closer to the gondola with each move. In a final flame, shaped like a slide Mai somersaulted through the gondola window to the safety of Zuko's arms. Azula and Zuko's gondolas both docked seconds later. Azula still shocked at both Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal was speechless.

"Off the docking station to the right and down the hill, take the path, it's safer, the cliffside is sheer in places." Mai shouted the directions to Azula's ship from Zuko's arms and with a long, last look at her Uncle left with them. Once on the airship and flying, thanks again to Mai instructions, Sokka watched amazed as Zuko tried to heal Mai's burns, pressing his own hands shamelessly against her own, and inhaling, as if trying to breathe in the painful heat in her flesh. He did the same to her feet and Sokka was again amazed, this time by Mai, as she took Zuko's intent face in her still burned hands and pressing against his scar turned him to face her, she spoke to him softly saying, "Zuko, I'm alright." He looked so repentant before her, he dropped his head dejectedly and uttered, "Mai, I'm so sorry, "his voice breaking, "I didn't want to leave you, but" Mai cut him off abruptly, "Oh, don't worry, you have some explaining to do. I'm still mad at you, but I couldn't just watch you boil and drown now could I?" said Mai pausing for dramatic effect. Zuko opened his mouth to speak but Mai cut him off again, "Right now, I want to enjoy the rest of this boring airship ride to wherever it is you call home this time." With that Mai snuggled against Zuko's chest and fell asleep to him humming a Fire Nation lullaby.

"I never would have believed it, if I wasn't seeing it now, who would have thought that she could seem happy and that he could act affectionate," laughed Suki from their position on the other side of the airship room. Zuko had sat down in a shaded area just inside the door while Sokka was at the wheel piloting the ship towards the Western Air Temple. Sokka nodded his agreement as his dad approach, leaving Chit Sang's side. "That's really the Fire Nation Prince?" Hakoda asked, "No wonder he was banished." Sokka and Suki looked up questioningly. Hakoda continued, "I asked Chit Sang what he knew about Zuko, he told me that he knew only what he had heard before the Prince's return. He said that Zuko was banished for disrespecting his father, and that the Fire Lord was ashamed of the Prince's inability to make sacrifices for the good of the Fire Nation. He also noted that Zuko was banished to search for the Avatar with two purposes: to get him out of the way, and to make him ruthless as well. It seems that when word arrived that Zuko had killed the Avatar, Ozai changed his mind and welcomed him back. From there, no one knows anything, except that on the Day of Black Sun, he turned traitor and left." Sokka thought that he had learned a lot about Zuko on this trip, but looking at him with Mai, brushing the hair out of her sleeping eyes, and hearing that tale from his father; Sokka found that he had new eyes for Zuko and maybe even Mai as well. Once again, Sokka had a phrase repeating in his mind, this time it made him laugh to himself as if sharing a secret with the clouds, "I couldn't drag her into it." This time Sokka had an answer for Zuko: "Well buddy, it looks like she dragged in herself."

4 pages 3,416 words

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pt 2 docking WAT and life there till SR morn.

"Hey, guys, we'll be landing soon it might be a bit rough so hold on to something." Sokka shouted disrupting the enjoyable silence of flying.

reunions, spying and stories

Katara hakoda reunion, suki/gaang reunion, stories of invasion capture and suki's capture, and mai's involvement left out, which katara notices and calls out, mai admits she fought and imprisoned suki, leaves out saving grace that it was all under orders, aang tries to bring that up to console katara, but mai bites back that she isn't going to make or accept excuses for her actions, most are confused, hakoda and chit sang impressed, katara angry and zuko understands. he excuses himself and mai saying that he is going to tend to her burns, which katara thinks are faked, asks for a demonstration, zuko is reluctant, mai sighs and asks "is there anyone who can carry a decent fire nation tune? preferably a prewar tune. chit sang says he has a flute, and aang says he remembers a tune kuzon taught him. mai asks for the flute and asks aang to play it. she listens then gives instructions to zuko on how to firebend to her dance, and then tells him to get creative once he gets the beat, zuko still reluctant is berated by mai, "they want a demonstration and I'm sure you haven't seen this done since before she left, in her memory Zuko, for her. (about zuko's mom)" suddenly zuko agrees, and the dance begins.

suki and mai bond, mai and zuko make up, katara is suspicious of zuko and mai. (your'e just like sokka, one little trip and you're ready to believe him. he's a liar, they all are. Just you watch, their planning something. there's no way they would just leave their cushy Fire Nation lives for no reason. Sokka said Azula was there, well then why didn't she kill mai and zuko for turning traitor? She's heartless, she killed Aang, just because he was the Avatar! She wouldn't let them off the hook like that.

hakoda assures her, katara reads a list of thier wrongs, hakoda promises to be watchful, but still believes in them. Ty Lee gets locked up in prison w/ rest of kyoshi who are transferred later.


End file.
